Means for slitting and re-coiling strip metal



A ril 23, 1946. E. REED ET AL MEANS FOR SLITTING AND RE-COILING STRIP METAL 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed 'Oct. 19, 1942 INVENTORS. E550 Msuau N.

w aaelb ATTORNEYS.

April 23, 1946. E. REED ET AL 2,399,155

MEANS FOR SLITTING AND RE-coILING STRIP METAL Filed Oct. 19, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS. v 50 E550 ATTO RNEYS.

April 23, 1946. E. REED ET AL MEANS FOR SLITTING AND RE-COILING STRIP METAL Filed Oct. 19, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS.

' Essa BY 'walmze f7. MsHaw /v.

ATTORNEYS.

April 23, 1946. E ED Em, 2,399,155

MEANS FOR SLITTING AND RE-COILING STRIP METAL Filed Oct. 19, 19-42 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 WWWYHWWIE 100 .29 101 NT RJ.

4 0 4 550 BY "0170 40 H Mvsu 0 w.

ATTO R NEYS- April 23, 1946. E, MENTALv 2,399,155

MEAIQS FOR SLITTING AND RE-COILING STRIP METAL Filed Oct. 19, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS. 0 E550 ATTORNEYS- Patented Apr. 23, 1946 STATES corporation oi Ohio Application October 19 The slitting and recoiling of strip metal has proved a matter of considerable general difli ul y in steel mills and metal manufacturing plants. We intend the term slitting" to be a comprehensive one, including all procedures of longitudinally cutting strip metal, ranging from the mere decoiling, edge trimming and recoiling of strip to the severance of strip into a plurality of narrower strips, and the recoiling of these narrower strips into individual coils. Even where the initial strip is formed as such by the more modern processes of continuous rolling, difllculty is encountered in slitting and recoiling dueto a number of factors, including the crown or varibe apparent to the skilled worker in the art. We accomplish the objects of our invention by the procedure and mechanism of which we shall set forth an exemplary embodiment. I

Reference is made to the drawings wherein:

1942, Serial No. leases Figure 1 is an elevational view 01 an exemplary mechanism assembly with certain parts in section.

Figure 2 is a sectional view through a tensionlng device of a preferred form.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view thereof taken along the line 3--3 in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an elevational view. oi a modified form of tensioning means.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a view similar to that embodied in a Figure 5, excepting that the belt arrangements are shown open.

Figure 7 is a plan view of a guide means which ation in the thickness of the strip in the direc may be employed in connection with the mechtion of its width. In slitting and recoiling very anism of Figure 8, and is a View taken in the thin strip materials, there is always difliculty directionishown in that figure.

in properly guiding them because of the tendency Figure 8 is a plan view of a sO-called chain of side guides to damage the edges of the mateguide, with parts broken away.

rial. Special materials present additional spe- Figure 9 is an elevational view thereof.

cial problems. For example-there is a practice I Figure 10 is a sectional view taken along the of producing silicon steel strip by hot rolling sililine ifl-lfl in Figure 9.

con steel sheets to thin gauge. nd W ng these Figure 11 is a partial assembly elevation (with Sheets together end to end y Special Procedures parts in section) showing a slitting mechanism outlined in- Patents Nos. 2,172,080, 2 1 1. set up to divide a wide strip into a plurality of 2,219,493, 2,175,615, 2,175,616, 2,196, 82,611 narrow strips. together with the tensioning means and 2,254,314. The resultant welded material is sndareeoller.

very thin, frequently quite brittle due to the na- Figure 12 is a plan view of guide means emtureof the silicon steel alloy, and characterized ployed in connection with the mechanism of Fig by pronounced lack oi flatness. These difliculties ure 11, and related to the direction i2 in that are so great that special precautions have had figure,

to be taken in the past even to coil the material, Figure 13 is a view of the same arrangement. and it has been the practice to form a coil on taken along the line l8i3 in Figure 12;

a vertical mandrel having a lower horizontal Figure 14 is a plan view showing the assembly flange upon which the coil rests, and to endeavor of adecoiling means and a slitting means.

to make a fairly uniform an tight coil by De- Figure 15 is a sectional view of yet another riodically but not continuously retarding the strip type of tengioning d ic I so as to tension it during the rotation of th Figure 16 is a sectional view thereof, taken mandrel. along the line lB-IB in Figure 15.

The principal objects of our invention are the Figure 1'? i a semi-sectional view of the de-. provision of a mode of treatment and an apcoiling means exclusive 0! the drive, the secparatus whereby trip materi l may be slit and tional part taken along the line il-i'l of Fig. 14.

. recoiled with an avoidance of the hitherto ex- Figur 18 is a. section along the lin i8-I8 of perienced diiiiculties, even in the case of such Figure 17. materials as present exa gerated dim ultles, like Figure 19 is a sectional view of a flange asthe thin welded silicon steel strip to which refsembly. erence has been made. Ancillary objects of our Figure 20 is a sectional view of a plug assembly. invention will be better understood in connection In Figure 1 we have shown strip material I bewlth the specific description which follows, and ing decoiled by means of a decoiler'indicated genwherein they will either be pointed out or will erally at 8. The decoiled strip passes to a slitting means indicated generally at 8. "This means will be described more in detail hereinafter. It may be provided with a scrap chute 9, which is shown best in this figure and in Figure 11. It does not constitute an essential limitation on our invenmay be a single edge-trimmed strip, or may have been severed into a plurality of narrow strips, is conducted toa tensioning device indicated generally at I I in Figure 1. From this device it proceeds to a recoiling mechanism I4. This mechanism may, if desired, "be provided with a flexible, removable, coiling sheath indicated generally at I5. v

The slitting device 8 may be of available form, and may on a suitable base comprise upper and lower shafts Ila and Ito uponwhich may be mountedsuch mating cutting knives or discs I9 as may be desired for the particular trimming or slitting purpose. The slitter may be powered by amotor 20 through a suitable drive, not detailed. Such a slitter is usually provided with an enterme knee roll 2| over which the strip passes, and an entering set of initial pinch rolls 22, 23. Intermediate the knee roll and the pinch rolls there may be, suitable guide means. These, in the extion. and will not be described otherwise than to provided with additional field coils whereby it can means is illustrated in Figs. 17, 19 and 20. A

short stub shaft 3Ia with a reduced end is :lournalled in the bearing support 34. The reduced end is withdrawably engageable in a roller-bearemplary embodiment, may comprise sheave-like guide discs 24 (Fig. 14) mounted upon a suitable adjustable framework. A p ir of exit pinch rolls 25, Mi, are usually provided, and these may be powered as at 21 to assist in drawing the strip through the slitter.

. The problem of keeping the strip properly tracked in the slitter cannot usually be solved by the bare provision of guide means 24. This is especially true whenthe strip is thin, so that its edges are likely to become damaged, and where the strip in the initial coil is not evenly wound. We havemade provisionnot only for the accurate initial adjustment of the coil with respect to the slitting device, but also for the effecting of changes in this adjustment as may be required from time to time by variationsin a single coil. To this end our decoiling device comprises a pair of flanges 21, 28, and tapered mandrel orplug portions 29 and 30, adapted to engage within the central opening of a coil of strip material to be decoiled. These elements are slidably mounted on a shaft 3|, and their positions on this shaft maybe varied individually by means of handwheels 32 and 32a for the flanges, and 33 and 33a for the mandrel portions. Thus, the mandrel portions 29 and can be engaged within the central opening of a coil, and the flanges 21 can be brought against the ended the coil.

It will also be clear that by,manipulation of the several handwheels the position of the eneaged coil with respect to some other element in space, such as the slitter, can be varied without varying the engagement of the coil.

The shaft 3i is severable, and one of its bearing supports 34, is mounted on ways 35 and can be withdrawn or advanced together with its portion of shaft 3| by means of a small motor 36 driving a threaded shaft 31 engaging within a base block on the bearing support, as most clearly shown in Fig. 18. This permits the placing of a coil initially over the shaft 3], or its removal therefrom if that should be desired. Thebearin support 34 may be locked in final operating posiing or other anti-friction bearing means fixed in hollow or bore in the end of shaft 3i.

The plug 301s provided with a sleeve I43 afiixed to it, and having one or more keys I44 adapted to enga e in a keyway or keyways' I44a of the shaft 3|. The sleeve is also provided with an external keyway or keyways I45, and the free end is threaded as at I45 (Fig. 20). The hand wheel 38 has a threaded hub I41 which engages the threads on the shaft 31; and the hub has a connection with the sleeve I43 which will permit relative rotary motion while preventing relative longitudlnal motion, such as that shown.

The construction of the opposite plug 28 and its associated parts may be the same. However here it is advantageous to connect the hub of the hand wheel 33a. to the sleeve of the plug by means of a latch I48 (Fig. 17) engageable in an annular groove I49 on the sleeve.

The flange 28 (Fig. 19) is arranged to slide over the plug sleeve. To this end it also is provided with a sleeve, or at least a series of elongated members I50 of suflicient length to maintainthe flange normal to the sleeve. The inner edges of these members form keys slidable in the keyways I45 of the plug sleeve.

The hub I5I of the hand wheel 33 is threaded so as to be engageable with the threads I43 on the plug sleeve I43. The hub has a connection with the flange 28 such as will permit relative rotary motion while preventing relative axial motion. As shown in Fig. 19, this may be accomplished by providing an annular projection on the hub, and a detachable means on the flange 28 which, with the flange, presents an annular groove within which the projection engages.

The skirt of the plug 30 may be notched at intervals as at I52 so as to provide intervening tongues, and these tongues pass through perforations I53 in the flange 28. The relationship is clearly shown in Fig. 17. r 1' After the strip has been slit, it passes into the tensioning device II through the guides which have already been mentioned. The tensionlng device is a means for gripping the slitted strip or strips in a very positive manner and in such fashion as to retard the movement of the strip with a carefully controlled force which may be maintained constant when the desired .value has been achieved. The tensioning device is preferably of such character as to be self-threading. It can be made in various modifications, but in general it comprises two or more rotatable cylinders or rolls about which the strip or strips pass in a curved path, and two or more flexible friction belts which engage the strip. In one modification the strip or strips directly contact the surfaces of the rolls and are held thereagainst by the belts. In other modifications both belts pass around the operative rolls, with the strip or strips engaged between the belts. The retarding force or forces which are productive ofthe tension, may be applied directly to the rolls or to the belts, or both.

We have discovered that if'the slitted strip is properly guided into the tensioning device, and

if the tensioning device maintains a constant tension, guiding between the tensioning device and the recoller is'not necessary, even in an instance where the original strip is slit apart into a large number of narrow strips, and where these narrow strips are formed into spaced, side-by-side coils on the same recoiler mandrel.

One form of the tensioning device is shown in Figure 2. Here the device has a pair of side frames M between which the rolls 42 and 43 are mounted on appropriate shafts. Another similar roll it is also mounted between the side frame members and acts in part as a return for a lower belt member 65 which passes about the peripheries oi the rolls 42 and 43, and over a small sheave or roller $8. This last mentioned roller is mounted on a pair of arms, one of which is shown at 61, and which are pivoted as at 48 on the side frames. Link members at engage these arms, and the belt 65 may be tensioned by drawin these links forwardly by means of'one or more eye-bolts 50 passing through a bracket i connecting the side frames of the machine, and provided with nuts 52.

The other belt 53 also passes about the periphery of the rolls t2 and it, but does not pass about the periphery of the roll M. It returns over a and is connected to the piston rod to of a fluid pressure cylinder Bl. By means of this cylinder the belt arrangement may be moved from the position shown in Figure 5 to the position shown in Figure 6. Also, the action of the cylinder 8| will be to press the belt I2 very tightly against the surface of the cylinder 86 or against the slitted strip as it passes over the surface of that cylinder. If desired, the belt. roll 18 may be mounted slidably in aslot 82 on the arms 16 and i1, and the shaft may be urged in one direction in this slot by means of a compression spring as having adjustment means 84. When the belt device is in the position shown in Figure 5, fluid pressure in the cylinder 8i cannot over-tension the belt I2, as will be evident.

The upper belt at is provided with similar rolls 88, 8t and 88 (the latter of which rolls may have a spring means similar to that just described) mounted between arms 89 and 90. These arms are amxed to a shaft 9i having bearings in the side frames ti and 88. An arm 92 is fixed to the shaft ti and is connected by link as to another arm at aifixed to the shaft we so that the same pressure cylinder arrangement 8i can operate I both belt arrangements.

pair of small rolls 5t and lit. The first of these is mounted on a shaft between the side frames of the machine; but the roll 58 has its shaft mounted on arms 58. Links 51 are pivoted to these arms, and the belt 53 may be tensioned by drawing upwardly on these links by means of eye-bolts 58 passing through a bracket 59 and provided with adjusting nuts Bil.

As shown in Figure 3, the shafts 42a and We of the corresponding main rolls, pass. through hearings in the side frames of the device, and

may be connected through gear boxes. 6i and 82' to generators 88 and 84, whereby a retarding force is applied to them. We prefer the use of generators; but it is not beyond the spirit of our invention to utilize an other retarding means which can beadjusted and controlled. Thus, we may provide the shafts 42a and 43a with brake drums, and apply brakes to them.

It will be evident in Figure 2 that the slitted strip Ia can be passed into the tensioning device tion of a restraining force to the rolls will result man even tensioning of the strip between the tensioning device and the recoiler. Another form of tensioning device is shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6. In this form two rolls 8! and 88 are employed, mounted between side frames 61 and 68 of the machine. These rolls may be geared together as at 89, and maybe connected through a gear box 10 to a generator 'II or other retarding means. In this form of the device each of the rollshas a separate belt arrangement. The belt 12 on the lower roll passes around sheaves or rolls 13, I4, and it, which are mounted between arms It and 11. These arms in turn are amxed to a shaft I8 by which the entire belt arrangement may be approached to or drawn away'from the roll 00. A crank or lever arm" is afllxed to the shaft it,

The belt arrangements may thus simultaneously be swung from the closed position shown in Figurefi to the open position shown in Figure 6. The structure of Figures 4, 5, and 6 is not fully self-threadingpbut it is easy to thread when the belt arrangements are open as shown in Figure 6.

Yet another tensioning arrangement is shown in Figures 15 and 16. Here a pair of rolls 95, at, are iournaled on shafts maintained in fixed relation to each other by suitable machine frame elements. A lower belt 91 passes about the cylinder 7 93, then about the cylinder 98, upward diagonally about a small roll 98, and downwardly under a small roll 89. It returns around a small fixed roll I00. The shaft of the roll 991s mounted inways MI in which its position may be adjusted by threaded rods or shafts I02 and nuts I03, whereby to adjust the tension of the belt.

The upper belt I04 passes downwardly about the periphery of the roll 98 and upwardly about the periphery of the roll 85, returning over upper small rolls I05 and I08, the latter of which may be provided with tension adjustment means similar to those heretofore described.

In this structure the shaft a may be connected through a gearbox I01 to a generator or' other braking mean not shown. Similarly, the shaft of roll 96 can be braked if desired; but we have also shown the shaft of roll I 05 connected through a. gear box I08 to a generator I 09 so that braking force is applied to the belt i M. In a similar fashion, a braking force could be applied to belt 91.

We employ guide means in connection with our tensioning devices, and on the entering side thereof. These guide means are indicated generally at lid in Figures 1, 5, 6, 11, and 15. Various kinds of guide means maybe employed. The type which we prefer, but to which our invention in its broadest aspect is not limited, is illustrated in Figures 7 to 10 inclusive. This guide means is especially suitable for the guiding of thin strips without damaging the edges thereof, where the'materials are properly tracked by structures and adjustment features such as those herein described. In form, our preferred guide means is an endless traveling chain comprising links Ill and H2 connected by rivets or pins III which pass through rollers i II. In each guide means the endless chain passes about the periphery of an elongated metal piece II 5, with rounded ends, and the small rollers I roll on the edge surfaces of this piece. The piece is supported at the proper height above a base IIG by block means II 1. The base hasan upwardly extending lip H8 at one side, upon which the edge of the strip material Ia may rest, and which will maintain the edge of the strip material at the proper height to be contacted by the rollers I14. In order to hold the strip material down onto the lip H3, we may provide a hold-down I I9 supported by a bracket I29, which in turn is mounted on a block I2I on the metal piece II5.

Where the strip material is merely to be edg trimmed, it may be necessary only to provide two of these guiding devices at the entering side of the tension means, as we have shown in Figure 7. Here the bases iii and IIGa ofa pair of the guiding means are slldably mounted upon a bar I22 or other means providing ways. The sidewise position of the guides may be adjusted by means of threaded shafts I23 and I24 rotatably mounted in brackets II25, I26, on the tensioning machine frame. The shafts I23 and I24 are not longitudinally movable. Threaded portions of them engage in threaded bosses I21 (see Fig. 9) which are attached to or form part of the base IIB of each guide means.

Where the initial strip is slit into a plurality of narrow strips, it is necessary to provide side guides for each such strip. Also, because there is not sufficient space for the guide means between the side edges of adjacent strips as they are slit from the main strip, it is necessary to carry alternate ones of the narrow strips out of the general path of the rest, and provide guide means for "the strips before they rejoin each other in the same path. Thus, in Figures 12 and 13 we have shown alternate ones lb of the narrow strips depressed and passing beneath a deflecting roll I28. In these figures-the strips to in the upper path are provided with guide means indicated generally at I29, while the strips II) in the lower path are provided with guide means I30. justed not only tokeep the several narrow strips in track, but also to maintain a desired spacing between them as they enter the tensioning device.

The final take-up or recoiling mechanism will generally comprise a shaft I3I, upon which will usually be mounted an expansible mandrel I32. The shaft is of course journaled in a machine frame, and will be connected, through a gear box I33, to a motor or the like I34, to provide the necessary coiling power. The precise nature of the mandrel I32 does not form a. necessary limitation on our invention, and the recoiling means itself may likewise be considerably varied without departing from the principles set forth herein. Thus, we may, if desired, provide the coiling bridle or sheath hereinabove referred to and indicated in Figure l at I5. This comprises a carriage l35 slidable on ways I36, and bearing interspaced frames I31. These frames also hear .linked arms I38 and I39; and a belt I40 passes around various rolls journaled between the arms. When the carriage I35 is moved to the left in Figure l, the belt I40 can be caused to surround the mandrel I32 undertension, the arms I38 and I39 swinging slightly to permit this. .A suitable tensioning device of hydraulic or other charactor, is provided, but has not been detailed in the drawings of this case. When a slitted strip or strips is introduced between the mandrel and the The various guide means are ad succeeding convolution tightly to the surface of lapsed and the coilor coils withdrawn therefrom.

We have found that using the mechanism hereinabove described, even with very thin, brittle strip metal, not characterized.- by flatness, we can produce tight, even coils wound .under' exactly controlled tension. Such coils are suitable for annealing as well as for handling and shipment. Where the initial strip material is a material such as the welded-silicon steel strip hereinabove described, and where it is merely to be edge trimmed and rewound into a single large coil, we have found it advantageous somewhat to crown the center of the mandrel I32. But we have also found that where the initial strip material is slit apart into a plurality of narrow strips,fit is possible to'form individual coils of these strips, which coils are uniform in contour and uniformly wound in spaced relationship on a single mandrel, and without the use of intermediate spacing flanges. So far as we are aware, this has not been accomplished before. It is accomplished in our apparatus by the method of carefully tracking the materials throughout the various instrumentalities, and by rendering the recoiling tension to all intents and purposes independent of variations of tension such as are bound to occur during decoiling and slitting.- It is also dependent invery large measure vonthe maintenance ofvery" carefully controlled and uniform tension conditions during recoiling; but a very great commercial advantage of our invention lies in the fact' that if. the materials are guided'as they enter the tensioning means (at which time they are under little or no tension and can readily be guided withoutedge damage), and if the tensioning means are such as shown in these specifications and drawings, it is not necessary to apply guides to thestrip or strips between the tensioning means and the reooiier,

or at any other time when the strip or strips are under heavy tension.

Thus, not only are the difficulties ofguiding overcome, but the likelihood of damage to the strip edges is substantially eliminated.

Modifications may be made in our invention without departing from the spirit of it. Havingthus described our invention, what we claim as new. and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l.- A process of decoiling, slitting and recoiling 'strip metal, which comprises decoiling the metal strip while maintaining the side edges thereof accurately adjusted to the receiving position of a slitter, slitting the metal under conditions in which the metal is .tensioned as it approaches the slitter and untensioned after it leaves the the material, and the said recoiling means being a powered device, whereby the tension on the material during recoiling is maintained substantially constant in spite of variations in tension occurring elsewhere in the system.

2. The process claimedin claim 1, including guide said material-while said material is subthe steps of applying power to the slitting device and applying a retarding force to the decoiler.

3. The process claimed in claim '1', including being simultaneously wound on a single mandrel in said recoiling device in side by side relationship, and without the use of spacing means between the said coils.

4. A process of decoiling, slitting and recoiling thin strip metal, which comprises decoiling said metal from a coil, and laterally adjusting the path of travel of said decoiled metal with reference to a slitting means by adjusting the position of the coil with. reference thereto, guiding said metal into said slitting means, causing said metal to move through said slitting means under power, whereby said metal is substantially untensioned beyond said slitting means, and while .said metal is so untensioned, guiding it into a ing said strips while so displaced, and thereafter causing said displaced paths to merge as said strips enter said tensioning device. l

6. In combination, a decoiling means, a slitter, a tensioning device and a recoiler, in the order .named, said slitter being a powered device whereby to cause strip material to move through it under power, leaving it substantially untensioned therebeyond, and said tensioning means being arranged to apply a retarding force to said material, said recoiling means being a powered device.

stantially untensionedl v 8 In combination, a decoiling means, a slitter, a tensioning device and a recoiler, in the order named, said'slitterbeing. a powered device whereby to cause strip material to move through it under power, leaving it substantially untensioned therebeyond, and said tensioning means being arranged toapply a retarding force to said material, said recoiling means being a powered device, and guide means located between said slitter and said tensioning means and arranged to guide said material while said material is substantially untensioned, said tensioning means comprising spaced rollers, and-belts adapted to cause said material tightly to engage the surfaces of said rollers, and means'for applying a retarding force to said rollers.

9. In combination, a decoiling means, a slitter, a tensioning device and a recoiler, in the order named, said slitter being a powered device whereby to cause strip material to move through it under power, leaving it substantiallyuntensioned therebeyond, and said tensioning means being arranged to apply a retarding force to said material, said recoiling means being a powered device, and guide means located between said slitter and said tensioning means andarranged to guide said material while said material is substantially untensioned, said tensioning device comprising spaced rolls, belts following a sinuous path about the peripheries of both rolls, said belts defining the path of travel of said material 7. In combination, a decoiling means, a slitter,

vice, and guide means located between said slitter and said tensioning means and arranged to through said tensioning means, means for tensioning said belts, and means for applying a retarding force to said rolls.

10. In combination, a decoiling means, a slitter, a tensioning device and a recoiler, in the order named, said slitter being a powered device whereby to cause strip material to move through it under power, leaving it substantially untensioned therebeyond, and said tensioning means being arranged toapply a retarding force to said material, said recoiling means being a powered device, and guide means located between said slitter and said tensioning means and arranged to guide said material while said material is substantially untensioned, said tensioning device comprising spaced rolls, belts following a sinuous path about the peripheries of both rolls, said belts defining the path of travel of said material through said tensioning means, means for tensioning said belts, and means for applying a retarding force 

